Cuba reaffirms its commitment to human rights

Cuba's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Pedro Luis Pedroso, reiterated his country's commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, diplomatic sources reported today.

When working on the General Segment of the 37 regular session of the Human Rights Council, the Diplomat highlighted the priority attention to issues such as access to health and education services of higher quality, greater protection and social assistance, food security and sustainable access to safe drinking water, among others.

"Achieving greater social justice and welfare for all our people, in the exercise of the broader freedoms recognized by the Constitution and the laws, is one of the objectives of the ongoing process of updating the model of Cuban social and economic development," he said.

Pedroso recalled that in 2017 the country achieved the lowest infant mortality rate in its history, four per thousand live births, a result higher than that recorded in many developed countries and that 'has been possible thanks to the work of the Revolution".

The Ambassador said that in order to achieve these results, Cuba has had to "overcome the negative consequences of the genocidal economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States".

"The blockade, which remains in force and is escalating, constitutes the main obstacle to the development of the country, is a flagrant violation of the human rights of the Cuban people, and contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law," he said.

On the other hand, stressed that the Havana maintains its cooperation and interaction with the procedures and mechanisms of human rights of nations that have universal application, on a non-discriminatory basis.

"Cuba will continue to advocate for dialog and cooperation in the field of human rights, and for the recognition and respect for differences," he said.

The Ambassador also noted that his country is committed "with the efforts to build a world order where prevails the respect for the independence and sovereignty of each State, and in that the war and the threat or use of force are banished ".

In that regard, ratified the solidarity with Venezuela and rejected "the unilateral coercive measures imposed on that country and external interference against Chavez and the Bolivarian process, which threaten peace and dialog among Venezuelans with deliberately destabilizing purposes and generate economic hardship to the population".

He also reiterated the concern and rejection of the unilateral decision of the United States to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

According to the ambassador, "This measure further exacerbated tensions in the area and away from the possibilities of any effort to resume the peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians".